Poly(arylene ether sulfone)s (PAES) are recognized as important high performance engineering thermoplastics. Commercially available materials include those sold under the trademarks Udel (shown as Formula I) ##STR1## and Victrex (shown as Formula II). ##STR2## PAES materials are generally regarded as having high tensile and flexural strength and excellent oxidative, thermal, and hydrolytic stability. PAES is used for a variety of component parts, such as those employed for ultrafiltration, and also can be used as matrix for composites, coatings, and adhesives.
An exemplary polymerization method for producing PAES is disclosed in Johnson et al., J. Polymer Sci. Pt. A., 5:2375 (1967), which describes step growth polymerization of 4,4'-dichlorodiphenylsulfone and various biphenols using aprotic solvents such as DMSO and potassium hydroxide. McGrath et al., Polymer, 25:1827 (1984), notes that this polymerization proceeds with excess potassium hydroxide and dimethylacetamide as a solvent.
Thiophene is five-membered aromatic ring (Formula III) ##STR3## that has been introduced into the polymer backbone of commercially known polymers such as poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(ether ether ketone) and poly(arimid). Because they include only six-membered aromatic ring structures, the non-thiophene containing analogs of these compounds are linked so that the bond angles about the individual aromatic rings of the backbone are either 120 or 180 degrees. The introduction of the five-membered thiophene ring into the polymer backbone causes the backbone to include additionally bond angles of 148 degrees. This substitution in the polymer backbone modifies the crystalline structure of the polymer and thereby provides the polymer with, inter alia, different mechanical, thermal, chemical, and crystalline properties.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide polymer alternatives to PAES which have different physical, chemical, and processing characteristics to increase the range of applications for these types of materials.